Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURE APPLIANCE OPERATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunications and, more
specifically, to a system and method for secure operation with network-
connected
devices.
Description of the Related Art
Connected devices have evolved in the range of capability and
complexity. Early sensors involved a simple function, such as reading a gas
meter or
electric meter and reporting the data back to a utility company via the
Internet.
However, a broad range of devices are now available for a "smart home" or
office that
may include safety sensors (e.g., gas detectors, smoke detectors, and the
like), security
devices (e.g., intrusion detection, motion sensors, security cameras, and the
like),
environmental controls (e.g., heating/cooling controls, ventilation, and the
like) and
operational status monitors (e.g., monitors in refrigerators, washer/dryer,
and the like).
The broad range of Internet connected devices are sometimes referred to as the
"Internet of Things" (loT) devices or appliances. In this context, the term
"appliance"
refers broadly to network-connected devices and not merely to home appliances,
such
as washers, dryers, refrigerators, and the like.
When one considers the complexity involved in a smart home or offices
that are fully connected with a range of different loT based sensors from
different
companies, it becomes clear how difficult it is to manage security,
integration, and
payment issues associated with the devices. Each device typically has its own
controller. In addition, most existing smart home solutions are based on
unlicensed
networks, which provide minimum control and security. Some devices provide no
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security at all. The unlicensed network implementation makes a system more
vulnerable to hacking.
A number of attacks involving corrupted loT devices. For example,
loTroop leveraged a number of known security vulnerabilities to infect over 9
million loT
devices. In another example, Mirai malware caused a sustained distributed
denial of
service (DDoS) attack from more than 175,000 loT devices. A DDoS attack on
Liberia
nearly knocked out the country's entire Internet. In yet another example, a
random
denial of service (RDoS) attack in South Korea involved seven banks by
exploiting loT
devices. Thus, the threat of network attacks using loT devices is very real.
The vulnerability to a security breach is so high that many security checks
are required to make a smart home concept a reality. For example, a smart home
may
have dozens of loT devices that each transfer sensitive data over the
Internet. Such an
implementation becomes a significant security threat if not properly secured.
In
addition, if a single node on a home network is compromised, it puts the
entire network
at risk. Furthermore, different security protocols on different devices makes
it more
difficult to provide a trusted network. From a consumer perspective, privacy
is a
significant concern when several loT devices may be communicating using
personal
information of the customer. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a
significant
need for a centralized communication system that will integrate loT devices
making
networks more secure and convenient for end users. The present disclosure
provides
this, and other advantages, as will be apparent from the following detailed
description
and accompanying figures.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
system comprising:
a first secure control hub;
a cellular transceiver within the first secure control hub configured for
communication with a cellular communication network;
a short-range transceiver within the first secure control hub configured for
communication with other than the cellular communication network, the first
secure
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control hub having a coverage range defined by a coverage range of the first
secure
control hub short-range transceiver;
a processor within the first secure control hub to control operations of the
first secure control hub;
a user equipment (UE) operable by a user and having a short-range
transceiver for communication with the first secure control hub;
a plurality of network appliances distributed throughout a facility, each of
the plurality of network appliances having a short-range transceiver for
communication
with the first secure control hub and at least a first portion of the
plurality of network
appliances being within the coverage range of the first secure control hub
short-range
transceiver;
a data storage area contained within the first secure control hub and
configured to store encrypted data related to the plurality of network
appliances
controlled by the first secure control hub wherein only the first secure
control hub and
the UE can decrypt the stored encrypted data;
wherein the first secure control hub and the first portion of the network
appliances form an intranet network via the respective short-range
transceivers;
wherein the first secure control hub authenticates the UE and the plurality
of network appliances controlled using commands generated by the first secure
control
hub, the first secure control hub being further configured to generate a
certificate for
each of the plurality of network appliance controlled by the first secure
control hub to
permit secure communication between the first secure control hub and each
respective
one of the plurality of network appliances;
wherein the first secure control hub processor uses the stored encrypted
data to generate an encrypted command message to a selected one of the
plurality of
network appliances to thereby control the selected one of the plurality of
network
appliances and to control the first secure control hub short-range transceiver
to transmit
the command message;
wherein the first portion of the network appliances are configured to
receive the command message from the first secure control hub via the
respective
short-range transceivers, but only the selected one of the plurality of
network appliances
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
to whom the command message is directed can use the certificate generated by
the first
secure control hub to thereby decrypt the command message and process the
decrypted command message generated by the first secure control hub; and
wherein all communication with the Internet occurs via the first secure
control hub cellular transceiver so that none of the plurality of network
appliances can
communicate directly with the Internet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
Figure 1 illustrates an example of a system architecture to implement the
system of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 illustrates an example of a system implementation in accordance
with the architecture of Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates an example of an alternative system implementation in
accordance with the architecture of Figure 1.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of a network connected appliance
used in the system architecture of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the secure hub used in the
system architecture of Figure 1.
Figures 6a-6b illustrate screen shots of a log in procedure using devices in
accordance with the present disclosure.
Figure 7 illustrates a two-step authentication procedure.
Figure 8 illustrates a sample data entry of a network appliance in a
secured data base in accordance with the present disclosure.
Figure 9 illustrates a Blockchain implementation of a secure database.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The techniques described herein provide a fully integrated Plug-and-Play
based secured solution using both licensed and unlicensed wireless networks.
With the
anticipated introduction of fixed 5G wireless networks, bandwidth will exceed
the current
bandwidth capabilities of existing wireline Internet bandwidth thus making
unlimited data
faster and more affordable. As will be described in greater detail herein,
encryption
technology, such as Blockchain technology is used to provide additional
security. The
Blockchain contains an inherent ability to cope with external attacks by using
complex
encryption of transaction ledgers contained within the block. In addition,
Blockchain
technology uses decentralized rather than centralized data storage, which has
the
advantage of making it more secure and more difficult for hackers to
penetrate. These
approaches minimize the potential of attacks on network-connected appliances.
Appliances in the prior art are typically referred to as loT devices because
of their
Internet connectivity. However, as will described in greater detail below, the
appliances
implemented in accordance with the present disclosure are not able to
communicate
directly with the Internet and, thus, are not loT devices. Instead, the
appliances
described herein may be referred to as network-connected appliances because
they are
connected on a mesh network. As used herein, the term "appliance" refers
broadly to
network-connected devices and not merely to home appliances, such as washers,
dryers, refrigerators, and the like.
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CA 3039624 2019-04-09
In addition, the techniques described herein use public/private key
encryption for each appliance as part of the Blockchain to provide additional
appliance
security as well as providing a technique to securely communicate with each
appliance.
As a certificate provider, certification of appliances provides an opportunity
to monetize
systems on a per-hub or per-appliance basis.
The present disclosure will provide examples of implementations of the
secure network appliance system of the present disclosure. However, those
skilled in
the art will appreciate that the principles of the present disclosure are
applicable in a
smart home for lighting and environmental control, thus providing efficient
utilization of
energy resources based on user and environmental behavior, home security and
monitoring with remote security and monitoring by utilizing smart sensors and
cameras,
pet care and tracking through the use of smart sensors thereby ensuring
quality of care,
smart grocery shopping and delivery, by utilizing smart sensors to
automatically detect
grocery requirements and order placements for on-time delivery, and elder care
through
the use of smart sensors and vital sign detectors to remotely monitor the
elderly and
provide on-time medical response in the event of an emergency.
In an enterprise environment, the system of the present disclosure may
provide predictive maintenance thereby lowering operating capital costs by
facilitating
proactive servicing and repair of assets, such as vehicles, office equipment,
and the
like. In addition, the system can provide supply chain management with smart
tracking
of end-to-end supply chain cycle from manufacturing to delivery, asset
verification and
optimization with the use of sensor-embedded equipment to control utilization,
verification, and process automated workflows. Fleet management may be
provided
using smart sensors and trackers to achieve operational efficiency and retail
beacons,
such as RFID enabled sensors to understand consumer behavior and provide
intelligent
marketing.
The system provides advantages for municipalities, such as smart
metering with the use of autonomous metering of utilities, such as gas,
electricity, and
water, smart grid operation by providing efficient energy management and load
balancing, water and waste management operations by efficiently managing water
resources and recycling of waste for improved sustainability through the use
of smart
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sensors. In addition, the system can provide smart transit planning through
the use of
automated traffic management utilizing real-time data provided by sensors. In
addition,
the system provides safety and security by monitoring potential threats
through
utilization of security cameras and automatic alerting of response teams in
the case of
safety hazards, fires, and the like.
In a manufacturing setting, the system enables smart manufacturing
operations by providing smart control of manufacturing process/assembly line
through
the use of remote monitoring and timely adjustment of assembly line processes.
The
system provides for smart field services and connected workers by providing
smart
tracking in monitoring of operational teams for improved efficiency.
Preventive
maintenance may be provided through the use of remote sensors to thereby lower
operating and capital costs by facilitating proactive servicing and repair of
assets, such
as vehicles, industrial equipment, and the like. The system provides for smart
environment solutions through the use of automated environmental (e.g.,
heat/energy/water) controls to enable efficient use of resources. The system
also
provides for a digital supply chain with smart tracking of end-to-end supply
chain cycle
from manufacturing to delivery.
The techniques described herein are illustrated, in an exemplary
embodiment, in the system diagram of Figure 1 where a system 100 includes a
secure
hub 102. A plurality of network-connected appliances 1-N 104 are wirelessly
connected
to the hub 102 via a respective wireless communication links 106. Details of
the
wireless communication links 106 are provided below.
In addition to the wireless communication links 106, the hub 102 includes
a cellular communication link 110 to one or more base stations 112. As those
skilled in
the art will appreciate, a cellular communication link can be established with
multiple
base stations. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 illustrates only a single
base station 112.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the base station 112 is
representative
of a cellular system operated by one of the many different cellular network
operators.
The system 100 may be configured for satisfactory operation with any cellular
network
operator by configuring the hub 102 for communication using cellular
technology
compatible with the desired cellular network operator. That is, the hub 102
may be
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configured for communication using cellular standards, such as C DMA, GSM, or
the
like. The system 100 is not limited by the particular form of cellular
communication.
Figure 1 illustrates a backhaul connection 114 between the base station
112 and a core network 116 operated by the cellular network operator.
Operation of the
base station 112 and core network 116 are known to those skilled in the art
and need
not be described in greater detail herein. In certain circumstances, it may be
desirable
for the hub 102 to communicate with a wide area network (WAN) 120, such as the
Internet. To permit access to the WAN 120, the core network 116 typically
includes a
gateway 118 to facilitate such communications. All communications from the hub
102
to the WAN 120 are pre-encrypted in the hub using, by way of example, pre-
internet
encryption (PIE) so that any data sniffers will only intercept encrypted data.
As will be described in greater detail below, communication control is
accomplished through a unique device-to-device communication protocol referred
to
herein as ioXt protocol, to provide a secure communication links.
The system 100 also includes a secure database 124 to store encrypted
data relating to the network appliances 104, the secure hub 102, and the
overall system
architecture. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the secure
database 124 may
be implemented in a variety of different configurations. The dashed lines
connecting to
the secure database 124 in Figure 1 illustrate the different alternative
configurations.
For example, in a home configuration, the end user may wish to have the secure
database 124 be locally present within the home. In this implementation, a
direct
communication link 126 is provided between the hub 102 and the secure database
124.
In another implementation, the secure database 124 may be controlled and
operated by
the cellular network operator. In this implementation, the secure database 124
may be
coupled to the core network 116 via a communication link 128. In yet another
implementation, the secure database 124 may be accessed via the WAN 120. This
may be particularly desirable for a distributed version of the secure
database. In this
embodiment, the secure database 124 is coupled to the WAN 120 via a
communication
link 130. As will be described in detail below, in an exemplary embodiment of
the
system 100, the secure database 124 may be configured as a Blockchain, which
may
be part of a cloud computing network. In one embodiment, portions of the
secure
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
database may be integral with the hub 102 or accessible by the hub and contain
information for local network appliances 104 controlled by the hub. The secure
database 124 may contain information for each user, including the list of hubs
102,
network appliances 104, and user information. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate
that the secure database 124 may contain information for multiple users and
may
authorize users to access only a portion of the network appliances 104
connected to a
particular hub. For example, in a home environment, the system 100 can be
configured
to allow all users to control certain elements, such as lights, but restricts
certain users
(e.g., children) from accessing other network appliances, such as
environmental
controls, security settings, and the like. Thus, the secure database can
include not only
information about the hub 102 and the network appliances 104, but also
includes
information about users, including the identification of which secure hubs 102
may be
accessible to users and which network appliances 104 may be accessible to
users.
A copy of that portion of the secure database 124 may be further stored as
a block in the Blockchain database. The Blockchain database may contain data
entries
for all network connected appliances 104, not only in a particular home, but
in all
homes, enterprise implementations, and other implementations of the system 100
operating in accordance with the ioXt protocol.
Finally, Figure 1 illustrates a user equipment (UE) 132 that communicates
with the hub 102 via a wireless communication link 134. The UE 132 works with
the
hub 102 to provide a secure connection to all of the network appliances 104
when the
UE is in communication with the hub. As will be described in greater detail
below, this
control is accomplish through the use of the ioXt protocol, to provide a
secure link and
operation equivalent to a Blockchain implementation in an "intranet" mesh
environment.
As will be described in greater detail below, the mesh will allow various
network
appliances 104 to communicate with each other in a peer-to-peer network. In
this
network, data can be securely shared from one network appliance 104 to
another.
The UE 132 may also control the system 100 from a remote location. For
example, a homeowner may be on vacation, but can still access and control the
system 100. In this embodiment, the UE 132 communicates with the secure hub
via the
cellular communication link 110. The UE 132 may typically access the WAN 120
and
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CA 3039624 2019-04-09
communicate with the cellular network operator via the gateway 118 and the
core
network 116. Alternatively, the UE 132 may communicate with the cellular
network
operator directly via the base station 112 or other base station (not shown)
that is part of
the cellular network. In this embodiment, the UE 132 accesses the core network
116
using a cellular communication link (not shown).
Data from the UE 132 is transmitted from the base station 112 to the hub
102 via the cellular communication link 110. In turn, the hub 102 acts upon
commands
initiated by the UE 132. In response to certain commands, the hub 102 may
receive
sensor data from one or more of the network appliances 104 and provide the
information to the UE 132 via the base station 112 in the reverse order
described
above. For example, the UE 132 may send a command to check on the temperature
within a home. Upon receipt of the command, the hub 102 communicates with a
particular one of the network appliances 104 to receive sensor data indicating
the
environmental temperature. That data may be passed along to the UE 132 in the
manner described above. Furthermore, the UE 132 may alter the temperature in
the
home using a different command. In this circumstance, the command is relayed
to the
hub 102 via the WAN 120 and the cellular network operator to be transmitted to
the hub
102 using the cellular communication link 110. In response to the command, the
hub
102 generates commands to the particular network appliance 104 to alter the
environmental temperature accordingly.
A software application program executing on the hub 102 and the UE 132
permits a user to read data from a network appliance 104 (e.g., read the
temperature
from a temperature sensing network appliance 104) and/or control a network
appliance
(e.g., turn up the temperature). Appliances may be controlled directly from
the hub 102
or from the UE 132 communicating with the hub.
Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the system 100 that may be suitable
for implementation in a home. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, all
of the
network appliances 104 are within communication range of the hub 102 via the
respective communication links 106. However, in the embodiment of Figure 2,
the
effective communication range of the hub 102 may not provide coverage for the
entire
home. In the embodiment of Figure 2, one or more of the network appliances 104
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
effectively function as nodes on a mesh network that receive commands in the
form of
encrypted data. The network appliance 104 will only decrypt commands that are
intended for that particular appliance. For all other commands, the network
appliance 104 retransmits the encrypted data to other nearby network
appliances. That
is, a network appliance 104 may be within range of the hub 102 and receive
commands
therefrom. If the command (e.g., read sensor data or perform an action) is
intended for
the particular network appliance 104, it decrypts the data and acts on the
command.
However, under other circumstances, the command from the hub 102 may be for a
different network appliance 104. In that event, the network appliance 104
receives and
retransmits the command to any other network appliance 104 within its range.
Each
network appliance 104 will, in turn, act on a command if the command is
intended for
that particular appliance or retransmit the command if the command is intended
for a
different network appliance. Thus, commands from the hub 102 may be propagated
through the mesh network from network appliance to another until it is
received by the
network appliance 104 for which the command was intended.
Using the command retransmission process described above, multiple
appliances 104 may receive the same command. However, through the encryption
process, only the command intended for a particular appliance 104 can be
decrypted by
that particular appliance. All other commands received by the appliance 104
will remain
encrypted. Through this mesh network, the UE 132 operates with a software
application program to control all appliances. Even if the UE 132 is on one
side of the
house, it can effectively communicate with appliances 104 throughout the house
via the
data sharing techniques, which will be described in greater detail below. The
mesh
connection between appliances effectively creates a tether that allows
appliances that
are far away from each other to still receive data intended for a particular
appliance.
All communications between the hub 102 and the network appliances 104
can be encrypted using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). In
addition, the
hub 102 generates an encrypted Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate for each
appliance to provide a security layer. Only a network appliance 104 with the
proper
SSL certificate can decrypt a command from the hub 102. Part of the HTTPS data
includes an address identifying the intended destination network appliance
104. Each
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CA 3039624 2019-04-09
network appliance has an address and will only decrypt commands from the hub
102
that are intended for that particular network appliance. As discussed above,
if an
network appliance 104 receives a commands (from the hub 102 or from another
network appliance) that is not addressed to that particular network appliance,
it will
retransmit the encrypted command thus propagating the command throughout the
home until the command is received by the intended network appliance 104.
An example of the data entry in the secure database 124 (see Figure 1)
for a television set is illustrated in Figure 8. The database entry includes a
device
identification including a device type and name as well as an IF address, MAC
address,
and a device ID data entry. In addition, the database may store a private key
and public
key for encryption purposes. Finally, the database may include controllable
features of
the device, such as on-off, channel selection, volume control, and the like.
As
discussed above, the IF address and/or MAC address may be used to uniquely
identify
the device and command data transmitted by the hub 102.
In this implementation, network appliances 104 can only communicate
with the hub 102, either directly or via another network appliance. Figure 2
illustrates a
plurality of UEs 132, which may correspond to the wireless communication
devices
(e.g., smartphones) of different users, such as family members, roommates, or
the like.
In some cases, the UE 132 may be within range of the hub 102 and can
communicate
directly therewith using the communication link 134 illustrated in Figure 1.
In other
circumstances, the UE 132 may be out of direct communication range with the
hub 102,
but within communication range of one or more of the network appliances 104.
In this
circumstance, the UE 132 can communicate with the hub 102 via one or more of
the
network appliances 104. Commands from the UE 132 are relayed via one or more
network appliances 104 until the command is received by the hub 102. The hub
102
responds to the command by generating its own commands that are directed to
one or
more network appliances 104 to thereby execute the command from the UE 132.
For
example, the UE 132 may send a command to turn on all external lights in the
home.
That command is propagated through the mesh network to the hub 102. In turn,
the
hub 102 generates the necessary commands to turn on the external lights. The
command is transmitted from the hub 102 to one or more network appliances 104
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CA 3039624 2019-04-09
control external lighting. Each of the network appliances 104 that control
external
lighting are able to decrypt and execute the command.
Prior art loT devices are typically coupled to the Internet directly or via a
WiFi router and are thus vulnerable to an attack from the Internet. In
contrast, the hub
102 effectively serves as a proxy to protect network appliances 104 from an
Internet
hack. The network appliances 104 cannot be accessed by an external device,
other
than an authenticated UE 132, thus providing a secure form of operation. As
noted
above, the UE 132 can access and control the system using the short-range
communication link 134 (see Figure 1) to communicate directly with the hub
102.
Alternatively, the UE 132 can communicate with the hub 102 via the base
station 112 by
communicating with the cellular network directly via a cellular communication
link (not
shown) or by accessing the cellular network using the WAN 120.
The hub 102 contains at least a portion of the secure database 124 (see
Figure 1) for all of the network appliances 104 in a particular environment,
such as a
home. Key information for the appliances is stored in the hub 102 and is
encrypted
using, by way of example, AES-256 encryption. Other forms of encryption may
also be
satisfactorily employed to protect the data in the secure database 124 in the
hub. The
hub 102 authenticates and verifies each user before granting access to the
network
appliances 104. Only the hub 102 and the software application executing on the
UE
132 can decrypt any data contained within the secure database 124 in the hub.
The
software application in the UE 132 can receive an encrypted list of appliances
104 from
the hub 102. With a Blockchain implementation, the secured database 124 may be
partially implemented within the hub 102. The portion of the secure database
124 within
the hub 102 contains the encrypted data for all devices controlled by the hub.
In
addition, a copy of that portion of the secure database is encrypted as a
block in a
Blockchain database that contains encrypted data for all hubs in various
locations.
In addition, cellular communication with the base station 112 is only
possible via the hub 102. The hub 102 also provides the only access to the WAN
120
via the gateway 118, as described above. In an exemplary embodiment, the
network
appliances 104 communicate with the hub 102 using a short-range communication
protocol, such as IEEE 802.11, often referred to as WiFi. Other forms of short-
range
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-08-17
communication, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave communication, and the like
may
also be used to form the wireless communication links 106 (see Figure 1)
between the
hub 102 and the network appliances 104.
Figure 2 illustrates a peer-to-peer mesh network where each of the
network appliances 104 can function as nodes on the network. Figure 3
illustrates
another example implementation of the system 100 that may be suitable for an
enterprise architecture. In circumstances where an enterprise may wish to
provide
network appliances 104 throughout a large area, such as a building, factory,
group of
buildings, campus or the like, the installation can include a plurality of
hubs 102 that
form a peer-to-peer mesh network. In this embodiment, one of the hubs 102 may
be
designated as a master hub. Internet access is controlled through the master
hub 102.
Although the embodiment of Figure 3 is described as an implementation suitable
for an
enterprise architecture, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
different
architectures of Figures 2-3 are both useful in a home environment or a work
environment.
Furthermore, the system 100 of Figure 2-3 may be configured to operate
with a plurality of UEs 132. The various users can be spouses, roommates,
family
members, etc. in a home environment and employees, supervisors,
administrators, or
the like, that are authorized to access the system 100 using their respective
UEs 132 in
an enterprise environment. In one embodiment, the UE 132 may communicate with
any
hub 102 within communication range. In this embodiment, the hub 102 within
communication range of the UE 132 may respond to commands from the UE 132,
such
as reading sensor data or performing an action. In this implementation, each
hub 102
contains a database of connected users and connected network appliances 104.
In a
manner similar to that described above with respect to Figure 2, the
implementation in
Figure 3 allows the hubs 102 to act on commands for network appliances 104
within
range of the particular hub. If the command from the UE 132 is intended for an
network
appliance 104 not within range of the particular hub 102, the hub will act as
a node in a
peer-to-peer mesh network and pass the command along to other hubs within
radio
frequency communication range. In an exemplary embodiment, the hubs 102
communicate with each other via WiFi or other suitable form of short-range
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communication. The various encryption and protection techniques discussed
herein
(e.g., WPA 2, WPA 3, HTTPS, and the like) are applicable to the embodiment of
Figure 3 as well. If the network appliance 104 for which the command is
intended is not
within radio communication range of any particular hub 102, the hub acts as a
node on
the mesh network and transmits the command to all other hubs within
communication
range. In turn, each hub 102 will pass the command along until the command is
received by the network appliance 104 to which the command is directed. That
network
appliance 104 will decrypt and execute the command.
In an alternative embodiment, only the master hub 102 may issue
commands. In this embodiment, the UE 132 can communicate directly with the
master
hub 102 if it is within range of the master hub. If the UE 132 is within range
of a
different hub 102 (i.e., not the master hub), the hub receiving the command
will pass the
command along in the mesh network until it is received by the master hub. In
this
embodiment, only the master hub 102 may contain the portion of the secure
database 124 (see Figure 1) for connected users and appliances within the
particular
facility. As discussed above, the secure database 124 may be encrypted using
AES--
256 encryption or other suitable form of encryption. When the master hub 102
receives
a command from the UE 132 (either directly or via a relay hub), the master hub
generates the command and propagates the command to other nearby hubs. The
hubs 102 in the mesh network will relay the command until the command is
received by
a hub within communication range of the intended network appliance 104. That
hub will
transmit the command to the network appliance 104, which will decrypt and
execute the
command. In an exemplary embodiment, each hub 102 that is a node in the mesh
network transmits the command data. The command is received by other nearby
hubs
102 within range of the transmitting hub. The commands are also received by
the
network appliances 104. However, as described above with respect to Figure 2,
the
network appliances 104 will only act upon commands intended for that
particular
network appliance or appliances. Thus, in the embodiment described above, it
is not
necessary that the network topology is defined such that every network
appliance 104 is
mapped to a specific hub 102. Instead, the hubs 102 simply transmit the
received
commands until the command has been propagated throughout the system 100. At
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some point during that propagation, the command will be received by the
intended
network appliance 104.
Thus, the system 100 can be implemented using a peer-to-peer network
comprising a plurality of network appliances 104 functioning as nodes on a
mesh
network (see Figure 2) or implemented as a peer-to-peer network using a
plurality of
hubs 102 functioning as nodes on a mesh network (see Figure 3). Those skilled
in the
art that a hybrid version of the implementation of Figures 2-3 are also
possible where
nodes on a mesh network include a plurality of hubs 102 and a plurality of
network
appliances 104.
Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary network
appliance 104. The network appliance 104 includes a central processing unit
(CPU) 150 and a memory 152. In general, the CPU 150 executes instructions
using
data and instructions stored in the memory 152. The CPU 150 may be implemented
as
a conventional processor, microcontroller, application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC),
or the like. Similarly, the memory 152 may include random access memory, read-
only
memory, flash memory, and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate
that the
CPU 150 and memory 152 may be integrated into a single device. The network
appliance 104 is not limited by the specific hardware used to implement the
CPU 150
and memory 152.
The network appliance 104 also includes a short-range transceiver 154
and antenna 156. As discussed above, the short-range transceiver 154 may be
implemented as a WiFi transceiver or other suitable short-range transceiver.
The short-
range transceiver 154 is used to communicate with the hub or hubs 102 or other
network appliances 104 in a peer-to-peer mesh network.
The network appliance 104 also includes a controller 158 that controls
operation of the network appliance. The controller 158 may typically be
implemented as
a series of instructions stored in the memory 152 and executed by the CPU 150.
However, the controller 158 is illustrated as a separate block in Figure 4
because it
performs a separate function.
Figure 4 also illustrates an actuator 160 and a sensor 162. Those skilled
in the art will appreciate that Figure 4 illustrates a generic network
appliance 104 that
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may perform one or more functions. Some network appliances 104 may include one
or
both of the actuator 160 and sensor 162. For example, a thermostat in a home
may
include a sensor 162 to read the temperature and provide temperature data to
the user
and display temperature data on the UE 132 (see Figure 1) and include the
actuator 160 to control the temperature in response to commands from the user.
Similarly, a security camera may include a sensor 162 in the form of a video
camera
element while the actuator 160 may be a motorized element to allow directional
control
of the camera. Other network appliances 104 may include only one of the
actuator 160
or sensor 162. For example, a smoke detector may only include the sensor 162
while
light controller may only include the actuator 160. Those skilled in the art
will appreciate
that the network appliance 104 may include multiple actuators 160 and/or
multiple
sensors 162. Furthermore, the network appliance 104 may include a wireless
communication device, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or the like, to permit the
actuator 160
and/or sensor 162 to be wirelessly controlled via wireless commands from the
network
appliance 104.
The various components in the network appliance 104 are coupled
together via a bus system 164. The bus system 164 may include an address bus,
data
bus, control bus, power bus, and the like. However, these various buses are
illustrated
Figure 4 as the bus system 164.
The network appliance 104 uses conventional power sources (not shown).
For example, the network appliance 104 may be battery powered, or may be
plugged in
to a wall outlet. Alternatively, the network appliance 104 may be powered by a
low
voltage power distribution system, which may be convenient in an enterprise
implementation. These conventional forms of power supplies are within the
knowledge
of one skilled in the art.
Figure 5 is functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the
hub 102. The hub 102 includes a CPU 170 and memory 172. In general, the CPU
170
executes instructions using data and instructions stored in the memory 172.
The
CPU 170 may be implemented as a conventional microprocessor, microcontroller,
ASIC, or the like. The memory 172 may include random access memory, read-only
memory, flash memory, and the like. As discussed above with respect to the
network
CA 3039624 2019-04-09
appliance 104, the CPU 170 and memory 172 may be integrated into a single
device.
The hub 102 is not limited by the specific hardware used to implement the CPU
170 and
memory 172.
The hub 102 also includes a cellular transceiver 174 and an associated
antenna 176. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific form
of the cellular
transceiver 174 depends on the particular cellular network operator. As
discussed
above, the cellular transceiver 174 may be implemented with any conventional
communication protocol, such as CDMA, GSM, or the like. Furthermore, the
cellular
transceiver may be implemented using technologies, such as 4G, LIE, 5G, or the
like.
The hub 102 also includes a short-range transceiver 178 and associated
antenna 180. The cellular antenna 176 and short-range antenna 180 may be
implemented as a single antenna. As discussed above, the short-range
transceiver 178
may be implemented as a WiFi transceiver or other suitable form of short-range
communication.
The hub 102 also includes a secure database 182. As discussed above,
in various implementations, the secure database 182 may be a portion of the
secure
database 124 (see Figure 1) and contain information for all appliances
controlled by the
hub. The information stored in the secure database 182 may be encrypted using
AES-
256 encryption or other suitable form of encryption. In addition, as will be
described in
greater detail below, the secure database 182 may be implemented as a portion
of the
Blockchain stored locally within the hub 102. Alternatively, the Blockchain
secure
database may be stored centrally or in a distributed fashion in an enterprise
implementation. In yet another implementation, the Blockchain data storage may
be
distributed over a wide number of machines using, by way of example, a cloud
computing network. Details of the Blockchain storage are provided below.
The hub 102 also includes a controller 184 that controls operation of the
hub 102. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller 184 may
be typically
implemented as a series of instructions stored in the memory 172 and executed
by the
CPU 170. Nonetheless, the controller 184 is illustrated in the functional
block diagram
of Figure 5 as a separate block because it performs a separate function. The
controller 184 may control access to the secure database 182, and further
control
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operation of the cellular transceiver 174 and short-range transceiver 178. The
controller 184 is responsible for authentication of a user as well as the
generation of
commands to be transmitted to network appliances 104 via the short-range
transceiver 178 and to receive data (e.g., sensor data) from network
appliances. The
controller 184 may also control access to the cellular transceiver 174 and
thereby
control access to the WAN 120 (see Figure 1). As noted above, the network
appliances 104 cannot access the Internet and are thus protected from typical
attacks
that loT devices currently experience.
The hub 102 also includes a keyboard/display 186. Although a keyboard
and display may be implemented separately, in an exemplary embodiment, the
display
is a touch-sensitive display that can be used to implement a keyboard as well.
The
keyboard/display 186 can be used to generate commands for the network
appliances 104 in the manner described above. The display can be used to list
network
appliances 104 and allow a user to select commands for the network appliances.
As
previously noted, the application software program executing on the UE 132 or
on the
hub 102 can be used to control the network appliances 104. Commands from the
UE 132 are transmitted to the hub 102 in the manner described above.
The various components in the hub 102 are coupled together via a bus
system 188. The bus system 188 may include an address bus, data bus, control
bus,
power bus, and the like. However, these various buses are illustrated in
Figure 5 as the
bus system 188.
As with the implementation illustrated in Figure 2, all communications
between the hubs 102, the network appliances 104, and the UEs 132 can be
encrypted
using HTTPS. In addition, the master hub can generate the encrypted SSL
certificate
for each appliance, as described above with respect to Figure 2. Furthermore,
the
IEE 802.11 standard includes provisions for WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA 2)
protection for additional security in communications between the hub 102 and
the
network appliances 104. An improved version of WiFi protection (WPA 3) is
expected
to replace WPA 2 in the near future and can be incorporated into the system
100.
The hub 102 also may include signal boosting capability for both cellular
transceiver 174 and the short-range transceiver 178. If the facility is
located in an area
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with weak cellular coverage, the hub 102 may increase the amplification of the
signals
received from the base station 112 (see Figure 1) and boost transmit power to
more
effectively transmit data to the base station. The controller 184 may be
configured to
measure signal strength of received signals to determine whether amplification
and
increased transmit power are necessary. In fringe areas of cellular coverage,
this
technique may improve overall operation of the system 100. When operating as a
picocell, the hub 102 effectively operates as a base station in the manner
similar to the
base station 112. However, unlike the base station 112, which uses the
backhaul 114
to communicate with the core network 116, the hub 102 communicates wirelessly
with
the base station 112. However, the hub 102 may broadcast its own channel to
thereby
effectively function as a base station. Based on the type of cellular system,
the channel
may include, by way of example, a pilot signal or other cellular identifier.
Cellular
operation is known in the art and need not be described in greater detail
herein.
Similarly, the hub 102 may provide greater range for the short-range
transceiver 178. In this aspect, the controller 184 can measure signal
strength of
signals received from any of the network appliances 104 or the UE 132 to
determine
whether the system 100 would benefit from increased amplification of received
signals
and increased transmit power in the short-range transceiver 178. If necessary,
the
controller 184 can boost the amplification on the receive portion of the short-
range
transceiver 178 and increase the transmit power on the transmit side of the
short-range
transceiver. With this dynamic capability, the hub 102 can effectively
increase both
cellular and short-range wireless coverage, capacity, performance, and
efficiency. The
intelligent control provided by the controller 184 measures signal strength
and boosts
signals as necessary.
Access to the hub 102 by the UE 132 is strictly controlled. As previously
described, a software application program is located on both the hub 102 and
the
UE 132. The software application controls the network appliances 104 locally
via the
hub 102, as described above. For an initial setup, a special access code is
generated
randomly by the hub 102 to identify and authenticate the UE 132. Subsequent
operation and device management are executed by the software application
program on
the hub 102 and the UE 132. Subsequent authentication of the UE 132 utilizes a
two-
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step authentication procedure. Figure 6A illustrates a screen display of the
UE 132 with
a login selection. The user provides a user name and password as part of the
login
procedure. Upon receipt of the user name and password, the hub may send a
verification passcode to the UE 132 that must be entered within a
predetermined period
of time. If a user forgets the password, they will have to start all over
again and re-
register the hub 102 and all network appliance 104.
The hub 102 logs all login attempts, whether they are successful or
unsuccessful. Figure 6B illustrates a display of the UE 132 listing a series
of events,
including successful logins and login attempts that were blocked.
The system 100 uses a two-factor authentication technique. When the
system 100 is initially set up, the user must manually register the UE 132 and
each of
the plurality of network appliances 104 with the hub 102. The data entries
associated
with the UE 132 and each network appliance 104 are encrypted and stored in the
secure database 182 (see Figure 5) within the hub 102. As previously
described, the
hub 102 periodically communicates with the secure database 124 (see Figure 9)
as part
of Blockchain stored on one or more servers 170 in the Cloud 172. This
maintains
synchronization between the hub 102 and the Blockchain on the Cloud 172.
Once the initial installation is complete, the system permits the addition of
new users or network appliances. The addition of a new UE 132 is illustrated
in
Figure 7. In step 1 of Figure 7, the unauthenticated UE requests access. In
step 2, the
hub 102 generates an authentication token (e.g., a device password and/or
identification code) for transmission to the secure database 124, implemented
as a
Blockchain. The hub 102 also sends a notification message to all previously
authenticated UEs 132 to provide notification and to request approval for the
addition of
a new UE. If approved by all previously authenticated UEs 132, the Blockchain
generates a token verification in step 3 and, if all tokens are authentic, the
hub 102
grants access to the new UE in step 4. The secure database 182 (see Figure 5)
and
the secure database 182 (see Figure 9) are updated to create a new data entry
for the
newly authenticated UE.
In subsequent authentications, when the UE 132 comes within range of
the hub 102, the hub will recognize the UE because its data is already present
in the
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database 182. This is the first authentication factor. In the second
authentication
factor, the hub 102 sends a verification message to the UE 132. This may be in
the
form of a passcode that the user must enter within a predetermined time-out
period of
some other known authentication step.
Similarly, new network appliances 104 may be added to the system. In
one embodiment, the UE can manually add a network appliance 104 by clicking an
"Add
Device" command in the software application program. Alternatively, the hub
102
automatically detects the presence of a new unauthenticated network appliance
and
initiates an authentication process. As discussed above, the hub 102 sends a
notification message to previously authenticated UEs 132 to request
authorization to
add the new network appliance. If authenticated, the system adds the new
network
appliance using the token verification process described with respect to UE
authentication in Figure 7 above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate
that, with a
large number of authenticated UEs, such as may be present in an enterprise
implementation, it may be undesirable to require approval of all authenticate
UEs to add
a new UE or a new appliance. Accordingly, the system can provide for the
designation
of a portion of the authenticated UEs 132 to serves as control for
authentication
purposes. As part of an auto-authentication process, if the new network
appliance is
designated as a certified ioXt compliant device, the hub 102 can eliminate the
UE
notification process described above and authenticate the new network
appliance
without human intervention. As described above, the system 100 creates a data
entry
in the database 182 (see Figure 5) or the database 124 (see Figure 9) for all
newly
authenticated UEs or network appliances.
If an unauthorized individual (i.e., an intruder) downloads the software
application and attempts to gain access to the system 100, the hub 102 will
ask for
authentication information such as described above (i.e., user name and
password).
Because the intruder UE is unauthenticated, the notification message to
authenticated
UEs 132 will permit any of the users to deny access.
If the user name and password are compromised, the hub102 will use an
additional security layer provided by Blockchain, as illustrated in Figure 7.
The intruder
CA 3039624 2019-04-09
. ,
UE will not be present in any authentication database and will be blocked from
access
to the system 100.
The system 100 can automatically detect the installation of new
components, such as the hub 102, or a new network appliance 104, in the manner
described above. If the hub 102 is replaced, a new hub resynchronization
process
through the master Blockchain database is implemented for the user. Figure 9
illustrates an exemplary architecture of the Blockchain database. As noted
above, the
hub 102 communicates with the WAN 120 via the cellular network operator, using
the
base station 112 (see Figure 1), the core network 116, and the gateway 118.
Figure 9
illustrates the communication link 130 between the WAN 120 and the secure
database 124. As illustrated in Figure 9, the Blockchain database includes a
separate
block for each user and contains all data associated with that user. As
previously
discussed, that information can include a list of one or more hubs that the
user may
access as well as a list of all network appliances 104 that may be accessed by
a
particular user. As illustrated in Figure 9, each block contains the data
associated with
each user. In this embodiment, the secure database 124 may be implemented and
distributed over one or more servers 170 that may be part of a cloud computing
environment 172. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a Blockchain
database is
typically distributed over a large number of servers 170 that each contain an
identical
copy of the encrypted database.
The UE 132 can access the centralized secure database 124 through a
licensed network, such as the base station 112, core network 116, and gateway
118, as
described above with respect to the hub 102. Alternatively, the UE 132 may
access the
Blockchain version of the secure database 124 using unlicensed network, such a
WiFi
connection to the WAN 120.
The hub 102 can discover new compatible network appliances 104
through a network scan. The hub 102 stores encrypted device information in the
local
secure database 182 (see FIG. 5) for security and authentication. As described
above
the authentication process can be manually controlled by requiring the
approval of any
new components to the system 100 by the authenticated UEs 132 or automatically
completed without human intervention if the new device is certified as ioXt
compliant.
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The hub 102 initiates a pairing process with the new network appliance 104
once
authentication and Blockchain based verification processes have been
completed. The
encrypted secure database 182 in the hub 102 is periodically shared with the
remote
Blockchain in the secure database 124 (see Figure 9) so that the Blockchain
database
stored on the servers 170 have a complete and accurate list of all network
appliances 104 coupled to each hub 102.
The foregoing described embodiments depict different components
contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be
understood
that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many
other
architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a
conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same
functionality is
effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality is achieved.
Hence, any two
components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen
as
"associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is achieved,
irrespective
of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so
associated can also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably
coupled", to
each other to achieve the desired functionality.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown
and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon
the
teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from
this
invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to
encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within
the true
spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that
the invention
is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those
within the art
that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims
(e.g., bodies
of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term
"including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term
"having"
should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be
interpreted as
"includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by
those within the art
that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such
an intent will
be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no
such intent is
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CA 3039624 2019-04-09
present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended
claims may
contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to
introduce
claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to
imply
that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or
"an" limits any
particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions
containing only
one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory
phrases "one
or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g.,
"a" and/or "an"
should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the
same holds
true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In
addition, even
if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited,
those skilled in
the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to
mean at least
the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without
other modifiers,
typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).
Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
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